Main developments

Rakhine: Inter-communal violence that erupted on September 28 in the coastal town of Thandwe in and neighboring villages resulted in the destruc on of houses and forced many people to flee. These events coincided with the visit of President Thein Sein in the western state of Rakhine, the first since taking office and intended to help cool tensions. A number of arrests have been made in an ongoing inves ga on of the incident, while security in the area is reported to have been re-established. A curfew is in place a er the Govern-ment announced an extension of it on August 8 for another two months. The curfew prohibits movement out-of-residence from 10 pm to 5 am and gatherings of five or more people in roads, lanes, gardens and other public areas. Kachin: The number of registered IDPs staying in camps in Kachin and Northern Shan State has reached more than 91,000 including over 53,000 located in non-government controlled areas. There were reports of figh ng between Government and armed actors in Kachin around Chi Hpwi and Putao during the last two weeks of August. This caused further displacement, according to a number of reports. In September, the Government granted permission for UN and INGOs to undertake humanitarian missions to four areas. This has been welcomed by the UN humanitarian community in Myanmar. The inter-agency missions followed a previous one undertaken in June 2013 and was the 10th cross-line mission since the beginning of the crisis in December 2011. The September mission was of par cular importance as it was the first me since December 2011 that the United Na ons and its humanitarian partners were per-mi ed to deliver assistance to IDPs in Laiza, where the Kachin Independent Organiza on (KIO) has its headquarters. Southeast and border regions: An es mated 40,000 people were forced to leave their homes when heavy rains in late July and early August caused severe flooding in the States of Kayin and Mon, as well as in the Tanintharyi region. In Kayin, the State Chief Minister called for in-terna onal assistance for flood-affected households and UNHCR responded promptly, offering assistance around areas which included displaced communi es. Between August 10-27, a total of 3,200 NFI kits were distributed to 16,000 people in the worst-affected areas of Kawkareik , Kyainseikgyi and Kyaikdon subtownships. Most of the beneficiaries were protracted IDPs in post-conflict areas. Part of the distribu on was done by boat and the Border Guard Force (BGF) assisted with logis cal support.

See webstory: h p://www.unhcr.org/print/52249afe6a.html

Funding UNHCR’s revised requirements for the Myanmar situa on: US$80.6 million Contribu ons: US$ 39 million / 48 % funded Rakhine State: The inter-agency Rakhine Response Plan ac vated in August presents a funding gap of US$ 38.8 million needed to cover the humanitarian needs ll December 2013. This includes UNHCR needs for protec on and selected basic items and essen al services. The revised plan aims at ensuring a smooth transi on from the humanitar-ian phase to early recovery and development, with greater emphasis on the need for durable solu ons, peace-building, reconcilia on and a safe and voluntary return of IDPs to their places of origin. Kachin State: UNHCR has received addi onal funds for shelter and Camp Coordina on and Camp Management (CCCM) ac vi es, allow-ing a strengthened response in 2013. A UN mission to non-Government controlled areas in September helped assess key needs in areas previously not directly accessible to interna onal humani-tarian actors. Support for shelter, CCCM and non-food items, among other sectors, remain essen al.

Highlights

Rakhine: Inter-communal tensions con nued to feature in some parts of Rakhine State. Some reloca ons of IDPs took place without no fying the UN agencies, limi ng the availa-bility of subsequent inter-agency response. Inter-communal violence occured in the town of Thandwe and neighboring villages at the end of September causing destruc on of houses, displacement and casual es. Kachin: A UN mission to areas only accessible with the agreement of Government and other actors in the State took place in September. In all, four humanitarian missions were able to bring assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Laiza and Mai Ja Yang areas since August. Southeast: Heavy rains that started at end of July con nued in August, causing significant flooding in Kayin and Mon States, and in the Tanintharyi region. UNHCR distributed relief supplies to more than 16,000 people in the worst-affected areas.

MYANMAR SITUATION EXTERNAL UPDATE #4

August– September 2013

Aid supplies were delivered by boat to

the most severly-flooded areas in

Kayin State

Aid supplies were delivered by boat to the most severely-flooded areas in Kayin State (UNHCR)

MYANMAR SITUATION EXTERNAL UPDATE #4

August—September 2013

General Protec on Children in armed conflict: On August 7, 62 minors and 6 young people were discharged from the Tatmadaw, the Myanmar Armed Forces. This is the fourth discharge since an Ac on Plan was agreed with the Government by the Country Taskforce for the Monitoring and Repor ng of grave viola ons against child rights (CTFMR) in June 2012. This brings the total of discharged to 158 minors and 18 young adults. UNHCR supported the Yangon Regional Immigra on and Na onal Registra on Department’s mobile immigra on team in issuing civil documenta on to those discharged. Ci zenship: A partnership has been agreed between the Interna onal Development Law Organisa on (IDLO) and UNHCR, under which IDLO experts will share the offices of UNHCR Myanmar in order to work on joint ac vi es related to legal research, analy-sis and advocacy on ci zenship issues. UN Theme Group on Human Rights: The first UN Theme Group on Human Rights was held in August with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) as the chair. Un l OHCHR has a permanent presence in the country, there will be a co-chair system rota ng quarterly, star ng with ILO, followed by UNICEF and UNHCR.

Rakhine Protests: New violence erupted in Rakhine State on August 9 a er the discovery of a body near Ohn Taw Gyi 1 camp. This led to a mass gathering of IDPs and confronta on with the police, during which the police opened fire on the crowd. Violence subse-quently spread to neighboring Baw Du Pha camp, resul ng in one confirmed death and up to 10 injured persons. An inter-agency team, including UNHCR, was requested by the Rakhine State Government to assist with media on. UNHCR has been closely monitoring the situa on over the weeks following the incident. The situa on remains very difficult in Myebon area be-cause of restric ons on movement and the lack of access by IDPs to livelihoods. Inter-communal violence: Worrying episodes of inter-communal violence started at the end of September in the coastal town of Thandwe and its neigbouring villages. As of the end of September, several casual es and a number of burnt houses were report-ed, but figures remain to be confirmed. Movements: A large group of IDPs –es mated up to 400 persons– moved to Sin Tet Maw, adding pressure on the exis ng facili-

es. Sin Tet Maw is already hos ng some 7,000 IDPs that spontaneously moved there when Cyclone Mahasen was menacing to hit Rakhine State. Reloca ons: On August 24-25 the Government relocated over 200 households - more than 1,000 individuals - from the Aung Mingalar neighborhood of Si we town to the camps of Maw Ti Nyar and Hmanzi. Aung Mingalar is the last remaining Muslim neighbourhood in Si we town. The neighbourhood survives with limited resources and restricted access to public services and livelihoods. UNHCR was present to monitor the IDP reloca on from Aung Mingalar on August 24 and con nues to monitor their condi ons in the new loca on. This was not an isolated incident, as oth-er internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Kyein Ni Pyin and from three other sites in Pauktaw were also relocated. The interna onal humanitar-ian community was not no fied of any of these reloca ons, which made responding to the needs in the new sites quite challenging. Problems were iden fied, including insufficient WASH facili es and other services. The Protec on Sector issued an advocacy note to explain its concerns in response to the reloca on of residents from Aung Mingalar.

In Maungdaw area, the authori es con nued to a empt to relocate 250 IDP families hosted in Atet Nan Yar to Koe Tan Kauk, further away from their villages of origin. IDPs con nued to resist this move, and there were reports of arrests by security forces. In Chein Kar Lin, authori es removed UNHCR tents and instructed some 408 IDP families to relocate to transi onal shelters. The site provided by the authori es lacked la-trines and there was no access to medical or educa onal facili es.

Departures by boat: UNHCR received informa on of some 600 villagers from Buthidaung and Maungdaw who le for Saint Mar n Island in Bangladesh to board a cargo ship bound for Malaysia. Departures from Si we and Sin Tet Maw have also been observed during the period. UN-HCR Regional Representa on in Bangkok par cipated in a special Con-ference on Irregular Movements of Persons organized by the Govern-ment of Indonesia on 20 August in Jakarta. Irregular mari me depar-tures remain high in 2013 and are likely to reach a peak toward the end of the year.

Non-Food Items and Sanita on NFI/cluster: The coordina on of NFI hygiene and sanita on items has been handed over from the UNHCR-led shelter/NFI/CCCM Cluster to the WASH Cluster. UNHCR will however s ll procure these NFIs, together with other partners in the shelter/NFI/CCCM cluster. Distribu ons: In August, UNHCR distributed NFI kits to 16 camps in Myitkyina and Waingmaw in Kachin State benefi ng 109 households (480 individuals), and also to northern Shan State to some 664 households (3,189 individuals). In Rakhine State, 799 NFI kits were distributed to Taungpaw and Kan Thar Htwat Wa sites (Myebon); 224 NFI kits to Nget Chaung and 826 NFI kits to Anuk Ywe in Pauktaw. Addi onally, some 877 tarpaulin sheets were given to 674 families in Rathedaung Township. In the south-east, 3,200 NFI kits were distributed to some 16,000 people in flood-affected areas in Kayin State. NFIs kits in-cluded: 2 plas c mats, 2 blankets, 2 mosquito nets, a tarpaulin, a plas c bucket, a jerry can, an hygiene kit and a kitchen set.

Camp Coordina on and Camp Management (CCCM) Camp running costs: In Kachin, on August 1, the CCCM working group held a mee ng to discuss the increased cost related to camp running. The number of camps where UNHCR provides CCCM has increased from around 80 for the period January-June 2013 to over 130 for August-December 2013. Several CCCM trainings were held in September during the UN mission to Laiza and Mai Ja Yang in non-government controlled areas and contacts were made with local organiza ons in order to improve the coordina on and informa on sharing with the Shelter/NFI/CCCM cluster in Kachin and northern Shan State. CCCM progress: In Rakhine, the Shelter/NFI/CCCM cluster has focused its ini al work on 20 high-priority camps. The situa on for CCCM in Rakhine is less advanced than in Kachin State. The priority sites in Rakhine include 14 sites in Si we Township, five in Pauktaw Township and one in Myebon Township. The first CCCM Cluster mee ng with the Government took place on August 27. CCCM Cluster dra ed and shared a methodology for establishing new camp management commi ees according to interna onal standards and CCCM key principles.

Working with communi es Rakhine State (Maungdaw): UNHCR staff conducted several field missions in August and September which iden fied protec-

on incidents affec ng a high number of persons, including arrests, bea ngs and extor on. In August, discussions were held with local authori es on the construc on of community markets. In a similar effort to favors peaceful co-existence, a project to renovate two schools and construct two new ones was submi ed to the concerned local township authori es. Local stu-dents have not been able to a end school since June 2012 due to the situa on.

Protec on Coordina on Kachin: The Protec on Sector produced an Interim Framework for Durable Solu ons in Kachin, which was endorsed by the Humanitarian Country Team. The Framework serves as an advocacy pla orm for all stakeholders on basic principles and stand-ards that should be applied when planning for durable solu ons for the displaced in Kachin. Key messages were finalized re-flec ng the protec on concerns and the need for unimpeded access of all interna onal humanitarian actors to the non-government controlled areas. The Protec on Sector agreed on the need for a broader pla orm of advocacy on protec on is-sues in Kachin, and capacity building of na onal NGOs. Updates on camp profiling results were also shared, as well as Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) strategy development. Rakhine: The Protec on Sector issued an advocacy note for engaging discussions with the Government on the issue of the Aung Mingalar reloca on in Si we town. SGBV: Various ac ons have taken place to raise awareness and seek solu ons to prevent Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV). A donor briefing on the topic of SGBV was organized by the Protec on Sector to raise awareness in the humanitarian response in Kachin and Rakhine States. The United Na on Popula on Fund (UNFPA) has requested the establishment of a GBV sub-sector and organized a workshop, a ended by over 30 organiza ons and most of the sector and clusters leads.

Shelter and Infrastructure Kachin: A technical shelter expert was deployed by UNHCR to Kachin. His mission is to sup-port the Shelter Cluster’s strategic objectives and build greater technical capacity of the key actors in Kachin. A hundred shelter units are being built in Pharkant by UNHCR’s local imple-menting partners, and some 155 shelters are being renovated in the Loi Je area. Shelter part-ners have reported a need for an additional 750 shelter units in Kachin State. Rakhine: Shelter construction that started in anticipation of the rainy season is complete. In Pauktaw and Myebon, work restarted after security concerns had interrupted construction, following an outbreak of violence in July. In Maungdaw, two satellite community develop-ment centers were completed in Kyar Kaung Taung and Ngan Chaung. Since September 30, the shelter cluster web-page presents a new user-friendly design reflec ng the structure and opera on-al focus of the cluster: www.sheltercluster.org/Asia/Myanmar/RakhineAndKachin/Pages/Default.aspx

The construction of shelter involves the participation of local community (UNHCR)

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Regional overview Irregular Mari me movements: From January to June 2013, an es mated 19,300 people may have departed from Myanmar/ Bangladesh according to unconfirmed reports. New trends in departures include the presence of women and children on board, limited provision of food, and increased cost of transporta on. Myanmar persons of concern in the region: as of September 2013, there were 244,665 Myanmarese asylum seekers and refu-gees registered by UNHCR in the Asia / Pacific region. This figure includes 28,723 newly registered asylum seekers from Myan-mar in the past nine months.

Thailand: From August 22 to September 13, UNHCR screened a film, 'Pushing the Elephant', with Karen and Burmese sub-tles in Nupo, Umpium and Mae La temporary shelters to mark the Interna onal Day of Peace on September 21. The docu-

mentary shows a Congolese refugee woman’s inspiring journey towards peace and forgiveness, and has prompted lively dis-cussions among refugees about the important role of all ci zens in the peace and reconcilia on process that takes place in their own country.

Cross-border: The results of the pilot survey carried out on behalf of UNCHR by the Mae Fah Luang Founda on in Mae La Temporary Shelter - hos ng the largest number of refugees on the Thailand-Myanmar border - presented socio-demographic data and also offered a good snapshot of the ‘mood’ in the camp. Only a minority of the refugees expressed willingness to return to Myanmar, showing that the refugees are clearly not ready yet for an organized return.

Visit the new cross-border Web Portal at www.commonservice.info

UNHCR’s donors contribu ng to the Myanmar situa on in 2013:

Voluntary return South-east : The UNHCR Mawlamyine field team undertook several return area assessment missions in August-September. Some IDP communi es have expressed their willingness to return as they believe that livelihood opportuni es are more avail-able in their villages of origin. Refugee return assessments were also conducted by the Myeik field team in eight villages close to the border, where refugees who had returned to Myanmar are believed to have crossed again into Thailand due to limited job opportuni es. Some refugees are conduc ng ‘come and see’ visits to their villages of origin, but generally the lack of liveli-hood opportuni es and the fear of landmines are significant obstacles to spontaneous returns.